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Trickster Literary Journal

CALLING ALL NEW MEXICO WRITERS & ARTISTS

TRICKSTER 2023 will focus on work about Animals: how they change us, move us, surprise us, and how they function as our own personal Tricksters.

The submission deadline for Trickster 2023 is Friday, March 24, 2023.

Trickster is a literary journal published yearly by Northern New Mexico College. We are looking for unpublished poetry, fiction, nonfiction, artwork, and any combination therein. The landscape and cultures of northern New Mexico shape our perspective, but we’re excited to accept original work about our current theme.

TRICKSTER 2023 will focus on work about animals—how they change us, move us, surprise us, and how they function as our own personal Tricksters. 

In the Land of Enchantment, we have unique animals that bring to mind our coyotes, rabbits, ravens, roadrunners, spiders and snakes. Tricksters make us think of rule breakers, trick players, and shape shifters—all bringing about wisdom in surprising ways. We think of the jack rabbits and road runners that explore our yards for seeds and berries. We think of coyotes and rattle snakes hiding just beyond sight in our forests and deserts. 

But some of our tricksters are tame! Think of our pet chihuahuas seeking attention, distracting us from our cats who are clawing the new furniture (admittedly they look cute doing it). They are our family, best friends, neighbors, guides, and a part of who we are. Our wild and tame animals have always been a part of our New Mexican beliefs, traditions, and culture. From our shelters, where animals we rescue wait for their forever homes, to our vast wilderness, where wild animals wander and occasionally appear to us—our animals shape us all. 

Like our animal Tricksters, we’re looking for work that moves, surprises us, and even changes shape before our eyes. We want what we aren’t expecting. So, sneak up on us like a mountain lion or bear, and pounce—we dare you!

  • Limit prose to 5,000 words; send up to five poems.
  • Send multiple submissions in one document and please number your pages.
  • Email work as a .doc or .rtf file to: trickster@nnmc.edu.
  • Attach artwork as a high-res (300ppi) jpg, tif, or pdf.
  • Include a 50-word bio separately, in third-person voice.
  • All submissions are read anonymously. Include your name, address, and title of work(s) only in the body of the email. No identifying information should appear on the manuscript.
  • Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if work is accepted elsewhere.
DEADLINE for submissions is Friday, March 24, 2023
Northern’s Department of Language and Letters released the first issue of Trickster in 2014, making the 2021 edition the sixth annual publication. The perspective of the journal is shaped by the landscape and cultures of northern New Mexico, but especially welcomes original work on the current theme. Submissions for Trickster are reviewed and selected by student editors with the guidance of faculty advisors. Publication of the journal is supported entirely by sales and community fundraising.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Heather Winterer
NNMC Department of Language & Letters
(505) 747-2247
hwinterer@nnmc.edu
Trickster 2023 Call for Submissions

Issues of Trickster 2022 The New Normal and other back issues are available for $8.00!
Email trickster@nnmc.edu

Trickster 2022 Cover image
Trickster cover 2017

Northern offers over 50 bachelor's, associate and certificate programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math); Nursing and Health Sciences; Liberal Arts and Humanities; Arts, Film & Media; Business Administration; Teacher Education and Technical Trades.
Northern New Mexico College is the most affordable 4-year college in the Southwestern US. Choose us for our value, our quality degree and continuing education programs in diverse areas of study, and our experienced faculty. We provide students with unique opportunities for academic, personal, and professional growth, small class sizes, personalized attention, and strong hands-on experiences from day one.
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